Creative Equity Toolkit

A home where creativity, diversity and architecture meet

Darat al Funun – The Khalid Shoman Foundation is a home for the arts, dedicated to promoting art and artists from the Arab world by providing a platform for contemporary Arab artists, and by supporting art practices and artistic exchange.

“Since the beginning, our spaces have been an oasis for the arts, open to the public to explore and appreciate various forms of contemporary Arab art.” - Luma Hamdan, Director, Darat al Funun

Activating the agricultural literacy movement with new media

Aksara Tani is an agricultural literacy movement which collaborates with locals in various sustainable community activities to support the farming culture and traditional practices of Gili Meno.

“One of Aksara Tani’s goals is to regain the sovereignty of the people and their land; they are not averse to business from tourism but are more about creating a counter-narrative to restore some bargaining power to the locals to make the tourism landscape more competitive on a more equal basis.”

Anthropological tools for artists

Peru’s Dinamo is working to bring anthropology and ethnography skills to artists and communities, so that they can better collaborate and consult with communities in their practices.

“Dinamo always works in a participatory manner, consulting and exchanging knowledge in a non-hierarchical or imposed way, and keeping the community at the centre of every decision.”

Arts create safe spaces for difficult conversations

In Nigeria, the Literary Evenings held by the Yasmin El-Rufai Foundation (YELF) attract a hugely diverse crowd. They provide a rare safe space for divided communities to enjoy the arts together and often spark difficult and sensitive conversations.

Combining the traditions of Forest Theatre and Street Theatre

Brazil's Vivarte focuses on research and promotion of Amazonian traditional cultures. It works with the storytelling and mythology threaded through the daily life of indigenous communities and their environment.

“Forest Theatre is alive, because the forest is alive. Like the forest, it is in constant transformation.” - Dani Mirini, Director, Vivarte

Creative arts: a gateway to hope for refugees

In this article, Eric Didier Karinganire highlights how art can be used to convey the refugee experience beyond language and spoken word.

"When I always think about “Before I Leave,” it reflects my whole life because it has all the chapters of my life; every part of this artwork means a lot to me. As a refugee myself, I can call it the story of my life."